Workflow Resource Patterns Support

Workflow resource patterns capture the various ways in which resources are represented and utilized in workflows. Implementing these patterns gives TIBCO BPM Enterprise the capability to handle the widest range of possible scenarios for modeling and executing business processes.

The table lists the workflow resource patterns that are supported in this release of TIBCO BPM Enterprise.

The pattern numbers, names and descriptions are those defined by the Workflow Patterns initiative. See:

  • http://www.workflowpatterns.com/patterns/resource/index.php
  • N. Russell, W.M.P. van der Aalst, A.H.M. ter Hofstede, and D. Edmond. Workflow Resource Patterns: Identification, Representation and Tool Support. (PDF, 206 Kb). In Proceedings of the 17th Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE'05), volume 3520 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 216-232. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2005.
    Supported workflow resource patterns
    Pattern Number Pattern Name Pattern Description
    Creation Patterns
    1 Direct Distribution The ability to specify at design time the identity of the resource(s) to which instances of this task will be distributed at runtime.
    2 Role-Based Allocation The ability to specify at design time that a task can only be executed by resources which correspond to a given role.
    3 Deferred Distribution The ability to specify at design-time that the identification of the resource(s) to which instances of this task will be distributed will be deferred until runtime.
    4 Authorization The ability to specify the range of privileges that a resource possesses in regard to the execution of a process. In the main, these privileges define the range of actions that a resource can initiate when undertaking work items associated with tasks in a process.
    5 Separation of Duties The ability to specify that two tasks must be executed by different resources in a given case.
    7 Retain Familiar Where several resources are available to undertake a work item, the ability to allocate a work item within a given case to the same resource that undertook a preceding work item.
    8 Capability-Based Distribution The ability to distribute work items to resources based on specific capabilities that they possess. Capabilities (and their associated values) are recorded for individual resources as part of the organization model.
    10 Organizational Distribution The ability to distribute work items to resources based their position within the organization and their relationship with other resources.
    11 Automatic Execution The ability for an instance of a task to execute without needing to utilize the services of a resource.
    Push Patterns
    13 Distribution by Offer – Multiple Resources The ability to offer a work item to a group of selected resources.
    14 Distribution by Allocation - Single Resource The ability to distribute a work item to a specific resource for execution on a binding basis.
    15 Random Allocation The ability to allocate work items to a selected resource chosen from a group of eligible resources on a random basis.
    16 Round Robin Allocation The ability to allocate a work item to a selected resource chosen from a group of eligible resources on a cyclic basis.
    19 Distribution on Enablement The ability to advertise and allocate work items to resources at the moment they are enabled for execution.
    Pull Patterns
    21 Resource-Initiated Allocation The ability for a resource to commit to undertake a work item without needing to commence working on it immediately.
    22 Resource-Initiated Execution - Allocated Work Item The ability for a resource to commence work on a work item that is allocated to it.
    23 Resource-Initiated Execution - Offered Work Item The ability for a resource to select a work item offered to it and commence work on it immediately.
    24 System-Determined Work Queue Content The ability of the workflow engine to order the content and sequence in which work items are presented to a resource for execution.
    25 Resource-Determined Work Queue Content The ability for resources to specify the format and content of work items listed in the work queue for execution.
    26 Selection Autonomy The ability for resources to select a work item for execution based on its characteristics and their own preferences.
    Detour Patterns
    27 Delegation The ability for a resource to allocate an unstarted work item previously allocated to it (but not yet commenced) to another resource.
    28 Escalation The ability of a system to distribute a work item to a resource or group of resources other than those it has previously been distributed to in an attempt to expedite the completion of the work item.
    29 Deallocation The ability of a resource (or group of resources) to relinquish a work item which is allocated to it (but not yet commenced) and make it available for distribution to another resource or group of resources.
    30 Stateful Reallocation The ability of a resource to allocate a work item that they are currently executing to another resource without loss of state data.
    31 Stateless Reallocation The ability for a resource to reallocate a work item that it is currently executing to another resource without retention of state.
    32 Suspension-
Resumption The ability for a resource to suspend and resume execution of a work item.
    33 Skip The ability for a resource to skip a work item allocated to it and mark the work item as complete.
    Auto-Start Patterns
    37 Commencement on Allocation The ability to commence execution on a work item as soon as it is allocated to a resource.
    38 Piled Execution The ability to initiate the next instance of a task (perhaps in a different case) once the previous one has completed with all associated work items being allocated to the same resource. The transition to Piled Execution mode is at the instigation of an individual resource. Only one resource can be in Piled Execution mode for a given task at any time.
    39 Chained Execution The ability to automatically start the next work item in a case once the previous one has completed. The transition to Chained Execution mode is at the instigation of the resource.
    Visibility Patterns
    41 Configurable Allocated Work Item Visibility The ability to configure the visibility of allocated work items by process participants.
    Multiple Resource Patterns
    42 Simultaneous Execution The ability for a resource to execute more than one work item simultaneously.